As the New York Film Academy continues its commitment to enrolling a diverse student body and expanding its international reach, earlier this month, Jim Miller, New York Film Academy’s Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, traveled to Baku for a week of high-level meetings to establish relationships with Azerbaijan.
The country was of particular interest partially due to the fact that the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has made a pledge to make film and television arts a priority over the next years. As a U.S. Accredited College built on a curriculum that trains students in the Media Arts Industries, Mr. Miller was very enthusiastic about his trip to the country.
While overseas, Mr. Miller met with top officials from the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan to discuss the Film Academy’s success rate amongst its international graduates who are ultimately prepared for the workforce once they return to their home countries.
“The New York Film Academy is looking forward to the establishment of a formal agreement with the Ministry of Education in the near future,” said Miller. “Azerbaijan is a country not only at a geographic crossroads — between Eastern Europe and West Asia — but also at an incredible juncture of economic, cultural, and artistic development and the Film Academy is poised to be a part of this global growth.”
Meetings at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan yielded substantial ideas to promote NYFA to Azerbaijani students and the public in general. Recently, International Cooperation initiatives were agreed upon, and the Ministry welcomed the Academy’s involvement in helping to develop the visual and performing arts fields in Azerbaijan.
Universities were also keen on collaborating with NYFA and meetings with Rectors and administrators at Azerbaijani State University of Culture and Arts, ADA University, and Qafqaz University focused on bringing short-term Film Academy workshops to their campuses.
Furthermore, Mr. Ayaz Salayev, Azerbaijan’s most preeminent filmmaker pledged his support of bringing Film Academy programs to Azerbaijan and encourages talented young Azerbaijani students to study at the Film Academy in New York, Los Angeles and Miami.
Finally, NYFA offered support in launching the first Azerbaijani International Film Festival, a project that Mr. Salayev is spearheading.